Gardener's Corner
Good plants for dry gardens
by Judith Rogers

As discovered previously in the column about our changing climate we're finding our summers are evolving to becoming drier than we've been used to. Therefore it helps to know which plants will survive these conditions and be identified as drought tolerant. Any tree, plant or shrub must be watered regularly and deeply until they are established and able to send out roots after moisture for themselves. Most potted perennials will be all right after a few weeks and if chosen wisely, shouldn't need supplemental watering after that. Leaf form and colour can be a clue to determine a plant's ability to be drought tolerant. Thin or cut leaves that appear lacy provide a smaller surface for water evaporation, silvery leaves reflect the heat and hairy ones trap the water to be absorbed.

In a sunny location these are good choices: perennial cornflower, liatris, baptisia, genista, lavender, Russian sage, sage, yucca, yarrow, artemesia, euphorbia, nepeta, oriental poppies, salvia, sedum, lamb's ears, thyme, rudbeckia, coreopsis, daylilies, sea holly, scabiosa, purple coneflower, globe thistle, blue flax, bee balm, blue fescue grass, bluestem grass, miscanthus grass, butterfly weed, prairie smoke.

For dry shade: Canadian wild ginger, epimedium, hosta, lady's mantle, lamium, sweet woodruffe, barrenwort.

Great annuals: lavatera, rosemary, cosmos, marigold, portulaca, sunflower, cleome, African daisy, borage, Mexican poppy, gaillardia, gazania, statice, Shirley poppy, zinnia.

Just remember that these plants will need some watering if we have extended periods of hot, dry weather.

Native plants have already adapted to poorer conditions

and these are drought tolerant: giant hyssop, black-eyed Susan, butterfly weed, compass plant, cup plant, evening primrose, false sunflower, flowering spurge, lance-leaved coreopsis, purple coneflower, rattlesnake master, liatris, stiff goldenrod, wild bee balm, wild quinine, ironweed and yellow coneflower.

Native plants for dry soil in shade or partial shade: bottlebrush grass, Christmas fern, deer fern, Solomon's seal, false Solomon's seal, pasque flower, trout lily, Virginia creeper, white wood aster, wild columbine, wild geranium, wild lupine and zig zag goldenrod.

Not many gardeners make use of ironweed in their gardens; Vernonia noveboracensis or V. fasciculate which is a little taller is a great sunny prairie plant to consider. It normally likes a moist soil but does very well in my clay without extra watering.

There are clusters of purple to pink flowers that last for weeks atop the 1.8 m tall plants that are sturdy and don't need staking.

Butterflies love the nectar from this plant and the western ironweed (purple flowers pictured here) is a larval host plant for the American painted lady.

Wild quinine (Parthenium integrifolium and the white flowers pictured) also does well without supplemental watering in my clay prairie garden. It grows to about 90 cm high and is also sturdy enough to stand on its own.

The flowers are like hard little knobs that open ever slightly and the plant is covered in tiny bristly hairs.

None of my established native prairie plants have had additional moisture this summer other than what Mother Nature has provided and they are doing quite well.